All for All
by Akki Lira
Summary: Anthropomorphized AU: When the Sickness hit Myrland, there was no surviving it. Foxy was so sure it had taken his little friend- so he left. "I thought he was dead, Freddy. All these years I thought my little Mikey was dead. I won't lose him again." Eventual FoxyxMike.
1. Introduction

_A/N: Why hello people of the world, I have finally gotten the chance to write something! I started this on the desktop so I wrote this expecting it to be a oneshot buuuut my monitor died without warning (and yes it IS DEAD, none of the cables are loose), and I'm on a laptop and finally out of view of my sister, so I can write without being judged!_

_**Warning, **__this is an introduction and it is a bit boring as hell, sorry. And later on there WILL BE FOXYxMIKE. Why do I warn you of this? A) Lots of people dislike that pairing. B) They're both male, C) Foxy is an anthropomorphic fox while Mike is human, and D) Foxy is like 9 years Mike's senior. So yea. _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_

* * *

><p>He was born in 2407, on the hundredth year anniversary of the end of the war. His parents weren't rich, but they weren't poor either. Plus, they were rather well loved around the small port town of Myrland. He began school at the young age of four years old, like all other boys and girls in the town, and when he was old enough to work he would help his father in his clock making shop.<p>

His black hair and pale skin wasn't very unique in the town, but his striking icy blue eyes caught attention. Even as a young child he was considered quite the mystery- the boy with the icy blue eyes. Nothing else about him, though, was very well known. He was a very reserved child growing up, never hesitating to help a soul in need but never going out of his way to talk to the other children.

His name was simply Michael Schmidt.

Mike Schmidt was loved by the adults in the town- Human and Animal. But the other children thought him… strange. He was such an oddity- so quiet, so smart, so… so _mature_. None of them really knew how to talk to him, so they never tried.

Michael Schmidt was a lonely child.

Then, one day when he was six years old, he was walking down the cobbled street near the docks, to deliver a baked gift from his mother to the vulpine family that had recently moved in downtown. When he came upon the large home in the downtown area, with a perfect view of the ocean, there was a crowd of children out front, and a teenage vulpine Animal was speaking with a strange accent.

Curiosity piqued, Mike approached, nervous though he was to be in a large crowd. Soon he was close enough to make out the words.

"An' then the dread pirate swooped down on ol' Cap'n Pinto, sword ready to stop 'is heart, but the ol' Cap'n wasn't givin' up so easily! He drew 'is own sword in the lick o' time ta stop Cap'n Scrawlbeard!"

For the first time in his short life, something had finally caught Mike's attention.

* * *

><p>Mike came back every day after that to hear the stories the teen vulpine told, all harrowing tales of pirates. Even the heroes in the stories were pirates, something the adults disapproved of greatly- they were a port town, they had pirate attacks every now and then.<p>

Everyone knew pirates were bad.

He didn't care, though. The teen, whose name turned out to be Foxy, narrated fantastic, fun, awe-inspiring tales of danger and adventure.

One morning, though, about a week and a half after the vulpine moved in, Mike trotted up to the house to find all of the children gone. Foxy sat on the porch, staring out at the sea. He looked so sad.

Instead of turning away, Mike approached.

"Mr. Foxy?" he asked softly, his voice barely carrying over the wind. Foxy turned to look at the child, apparently surprised.

"Sorry, kid," he started, looking back to the sea, "no stories today."

"That's okay," Mike said, "not every day has to be a story day. My dad says everyone needs some time to themselves."

Foxy's ears twitched and he looked at the child, brow furrowing. "How old are you?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I'm six," Mike answered. "I'll be seven next month."

"Six?" Foxy looked like he didn't know whether to be surprised or not. He certainly looked six… but he didn't sound anything like a six year old.

No six year old should sound so mature and serious.

Mike nodded. "How old are you, Mr. Foxy?"

"Um… I turned fifteen about seven months back." The vulpine blinked. "What's your name?"

"Mike Schmidt."

"C'mere, Mikey," Foxy said, slipping into his storytelling pirate accent and patting the spot next to him. "Let ol' Foxy tell ye a story. Ye mind if I call you tha', Mikey?"

* * *

><p>From that day on, Mike was right beside Foxy for every story. Once the story was over, he would stay behind to just <em>talk. <em>Both of their parents found it strange- and Mike's found it a little unnerving- but Mike was smiling more and Foxy seemed content to sit still for a while, so both accepted the friendship… albeit cautiously.

Mike's parents still kept in mind that Foxy was nine years older than their son, but Mike disregarded it. Foxy was fun to be around. He was there to help Mike forget about the other children who always ignored him, always there to help him when his older sister or younger brother hurt his feelings. He quickly became a constant in Mike's life.

Likewise, Foxy enjoyed talking to the kid, who had begun to loosen up and finally act like, well, a kid. He enjoyed telling Mikey about the seas and the good pirates that live on them. He enjoyed telling Mikey all about the dreams he himself had had when he was Mikey's age. He enjoyed having Mikey's support.

He enjoyed having someone believe in him.

* * *

><p>The calm and happiness lasted until Mike's eighth birthday. Then the Sickness came to little Myrland. There was no cure, not even in the capital of Thonsborough, and port towns like Myrland were far more likely to fall to the Sickness.<p>

The townspeople were getting hysterical, people were getting sick and dying everywhere all over town- and it wasn't a pretty death either. First their extremities began blackening, and then blood would begin seeping out of different orifices of the body. All the while the victim was conscious, usually heard screaming and crying for help, for the pain to stop… it was horrible to watch, and worse to experience.

No one survived the Sickness, so when Mike's mother was discovered to have the Sickness, he cried. He didn't remember the last time he cried, but as they took his mother away to quarantine, he cried harder than he had ever cried in his life.

Then he ran to Foxy.

Foxy was on his porch, as he usually was, overlooking the sea. It had been a few weeks since any children came to listen to his stories of adventure. Only Mike ever came around anymore. Mike was the only reason Foxy was still sticking around- that smile that lit up the world.

"Foxy!" he heard the familiar voice, but it sounded… different. Mike's voice was distressed- moreso than it had been before. Foxy turned to the steps as Mike ran up them. There was no usual smile, no hopeful glint in the boy's eyes, no happiness…

"Mikey? What's wrong?" Foxy asked, a bit alarmed, as he stood out of his seat to approach the sobbing child. "Mikey?"

"M-mama," the kid was able to choke out, "M-mama got the Sickness, Foxy. Mama got the Sickness and they think papa got it too."

Foxy knew something else the child didn't. If it turned out his parents had the Sickness, it would be assumed Mike and all of his siblings had it too… they would take Mike away, put him in quarantine with all of those ill children. They would take Mike away from Foxy, and Foxy knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.

After all, it was very likely if two people in Mike's household had the Sickness, Mike did too.

"Foxy?" Mike sniffled, watching the frozen fox. Foxy's eyes were wide, and he looked distraught. "Foxy what can I do?"

"I…" Foxy didn't know how to answer. His little Mikey could die any time within the next week if he had the Sickness, and any time in the next month even if he didn't have it- he'd get it while in quarantine. "Mikey…" He didn't want to see Mike die. He didn't want to hear Mike scream or bleed- he didn't want that. He wouldn't be able to stand it.

If Mike died, there was no reason for him to stay.

"Foxy…?"

"Mikey…" Foxy sighed and ran a hand through the fur on his head, ears flattened. "I… I'm sorry, Mikey."

He really was.

* * *

><p>Three days later Mike and his three sibling were taken into quarantine. Foxy knew he would probably never see little Mikey again.<p>

So Foxy left. Without a word to anyone, not to his parents, not to the townspeople, not to the children, he just upped and left in the middle of the night. Seventeen years old, he decided it was finally time to pursue his own dreams- and maybe, just maybe, forget all of what happened in Myrland.

He never forgot.


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: Because it's stupid to leave off on an introduction chapter._

_Also, here's a monetary system;_

_Copper piece _

_Bronze piece = 5 coppers_

_Silver piece = 5 bronzes, 25 coppers_

_Gold piece = 5 silvers, 25 bronzes, 125 coppers_

* * *

><p><strong>-10 Years Later-<strong>

The wind was blowing strong on the seas that day and the morning sun was just peaking over the watery horizon. Crossing the beam of sunlight was a large ship, black and adorned with beautiful red accents and what looked like a carving of a red mer-vixen on the front, long hair of the mer folk splaying around her head and shoulders and her long blood-red tail reaching down as far as it could go.

Painted on the side in curved lettering were the words _The Crimson Vixen_. Appropriately named, everyone would agree, and one of the most beautiful ships on the seas…

If only it weren't a pirate ship.

The vulpine captain was Foxy, who became the ship's captain at the tender age of nineteen. Foxy stood at the bow of the ship, watching as land rolled into view.

"Freddy!" Foxy called to his first mate and best friend. Freddy, a bear Animal, came over to his captain.

"Yes, Foxy?" he asked, a slight accent lilting in his voice. He was obviously from one of the southern coastal lands, perhaps the surviving city of Savannah, but Foxy had never asked- the older male had never asked him about his own origins, after all.

"This 'ere land be lookin' familiar, mate," Foxy told the bear, watching the land mass approach. "What city be this?"

"A small port town called Myrland, Captain," Freddy answered, noticing how Foxy fidgeted.

"No plunderin' of this here port," Foxy commanded after a few moments of silence. "An' make sure the men know no' ta buy the company o' concubines. An' be sure ta check all food an' water comin' on board."

"Why?" Freddy seemed surprised- Foxy had never put so many stipulations on a trip to land.

"This city been seein' enough death," Foxy answered simply. When Freddy didn't respond, he looked over at the bear to see him giving him a strange look. "The Sickness, mate. It came 'round ten years ago to this port. I've 'eard no news o' Myrland since, so I don't know if the Sickness be gone, but I don't wan' that on me ship, got it?"

"Then perhaps we should dock elsewhere?"

"Nay," Foxy shook his head, turning back to the land. "Nay, there be survivors there- obviously, then, they have safe food." Foxy didn't admit even to himself that he was hoping to see an old friend.

That was impossible, after all.

* * *

><p>Mike stumbled out of bed that morning and into the small kitchen, his joints burning and aching. He had worked too hard yesterday, but it was good- he had just enough money for his taxes and something to eat.<p>

He poured himself some water to drink, knowing his milk had gone bad, and sipped at it as he walked over to his moneybox. The black-haired young man opened it to find twenty copper pieces and three bronze pieces, just enough to pay the tax and buy a small loaf of bread.

With a sigh, the young man walked to the door without changing. There was no point, he didn't have any clean clothes at the moment. He opened the door and looked out into the quiet streets.

It had been ten years since the Sickness came, and it was mostly gone by now. A few people here and there fell to it, but it was mostly a distant, horrible memory for most people in the town of Myrland.

Mike was the only one who had survived being put in quarantine. His parents, his big sister and brother, his little brother… they all died of the Sickness. Only he survived, surrounded by death and Sickness. He didn't know why. Everyone else thought it was witchcraft- you _don't_ just _survive_, after all. Everyone had been convinced he had it.

As a child, people his own age avoided him for being the strange child. Now, almost everyone avoided him for being the witch-boy. But witchcraft wasn't something you could be tried and hanged for, thankfully.

It was by pure luck he had gotten his job at the docks. It didn't pay much, less than a copper piece an hour, but it was something.

Mike stopped by the bread stand and bought a measly little loaf with what he could afford- the equivalent of four bronze plus two copper pieces. He continued on his way to the docks while eating half of the loaf- he'd save the rest for later.

As he reached the docks, though, something in the distance caught his eye. It was a large ship, unlike the merchant ships he'd seen. He couldn't make out the name of the ship, and there were no flags raised, but he could see that they had no plans to make dock at the docks themselves; instead, they were rowing on over in smaller boats.

'_Well if they're pirates, at least they aren't attacking,' _Mike thought to himself, walking over to his boss to await orders.

"Mike, help the men on them there boats when they reach here," his boss said with barely a glance at the town's "witch-boy". "Ask 'em what it is they're needin'."

"Right, Mr. Canthorn." Mike nodded and went to the doc ties to wait.

As he watched the boats approach, he couldn't help but notice it was a crew of Animals, and what seemed to be the captain, judging by his coat, was a red vulpine Animal. But Mike quickly dismissed the possibility of it being Foxy.

When Mike got out of the hospital quarantine nearly a year later, Foxy was gone. He assumed that the Sickness got him too. There was no way that captain could be Foxy… Foxy was dead. At least that's what Mike thought.

When the boats reached the dock, Mike tossed them some rope and began securing the boats to the dock while some men on the boats secured the boats to the rope.

The fox, who unknown to Mike actually was, in fact, Foxy, climbed out onto the dock, followed by a bear Animal, grinning a bit. "Thank ye much, laddie," Foxy said to the young man's back and started to turn away to walk into the town.

"Not a problem," Mike answered, standing up and turning to face the captain. Foxy suddenly froze, looking back at the man and his icy blue eyes.

In all of his life he had only met three people with eyes like that- one he thought was dead, the other was his first mate, and the last he had run his blade through after they attempted to kill Freddy.

Mike furrowed his brow, noticing how the sailor was looking at him, almost as though he was seeing a ghost or a miracle… Mike wasn't sure which. "Is something wrong?" he asked the vulpine.

"Nay, laddie, nothin' be wrong," Foxy said, shaking his head. "Just…. Lad, what's your name?"

"Mike Schmidt," Mike answered the captain. "I'm an employee of Mr. Canthorn over there."

"Y… You're alive?"

Mike noticed the sailor's accent had slipped, and that voice sounded very familiar, but it couldn't be. It just couldn't be. "Yeah…"

"Captain Foxy," the bear called from the end of the dock, "are you coming?"

'_No way. It can't be. Foxy died.'_

'_How is Mikey standing here? He died, there's no way he could have survived!'_

The two stared at each other, wide eyed, for a few moments before Mike cleared his throat. "I believe your crew is waiting for you, um, Captain Foxy."

What else could he have said?

Foxy didn't know what to do, so he nodded numbly and turned to go to Freddy. "Aye, I be comin', Freddy."

Had he known Mike would survive he never would have left… but there was no way the boy could have survived.

No one survived the Sickness.

'_Aye, but did the lad ever actually have it?'_

* * *

><p>Around noon, Mike went on home for his break to gulp down some water and more bread. He had to be back at the docks around 1:30 PM, an hour and a half.<p>

As he walked on home, he saw Foxy and the crewman Freddy standing in front of Foxy's old house. The house had been empty for about eight years now- Foxy's parents had left after Foxy's sister died of Sickness.

He returned his gaze to the ground and walked on by, unsure if he should approach the captain. So much had happened- so much separated them now.

Apparently, though, Foxy felt no reservation on this part. He saw Mike from the corner of his eye and quickly turned. "Mikey!"

Freddy looked at Foxy, confused, while Mike nearly jumped out of his skin, turning wide-eyed to face the captain. Foxy hurried over to him.

"Mikey, where are my parents and Vixy?" he asked the human, brows furrowing.

"Oh, um… Vixy died about eight years ago from the Sickness and your parents left…" Mike answered a bit nervously. He didn't know how to speak to Foxy anymore. He spent the last nine years of his life thinking he was dead, for crying out loud!

"Oh…" was all Foxy could say. Sure he felt upset his sister had died, but he was never all that close to his sister- all she had really cared about was finding an outstanding, good vulpine to marry and she absolutely hated the humans of the town.

Mike bit his lip, he had a thousand questions he wanted answered. But this wasn't the place to ask.

"Does someone mind telling me what the hay is goin' on?" Freddy asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh!" Foxy laughed a bit. "Freddy, this be me ol' friend Mikey from when I lived in this here town. Mikey, this be me first mate Freddy."

"You used to live here?" Freddy asked before saying a "Hello" to Mike.

"Aye! How else did ye think I knew 'bout ten years ago when I first started sailing?" Foxy turned to Mike. "Mikey… last I knew ye were in quarantine, how are you…"

"Alive? I don't know…" Mike averted his eyes, looking a bit sheepish. "Most people blame witchcraft but I don't know."

"Witchcraft?" Foxy scoffed. "Yer not a witch."

"Well _I_ know that," Mike huffed. "I need to get home for lunch, I only have about an hour."

"Mikey, wait!" Foxy called as the human turned to leave. Mike looked over his shoulder at Foxy with a raised brow. "Um… I… I'm sorry I left. I thought you…"

"I know. It's okay." Then he walked away.

"Foxy?" Freddy sounded a bit concerned, looking at Foxy as Foxy watched the human's back. There was an almost stony, determined look on the vulpine's face. "What are ya gonna do, Foxy?"

"I thought he was dead, Freddy. All these years I thought my little Mikey was dead. I won't lose him again." With that, he turned around and began walking towards the docks again. Freddy watched his friend, concerned. What was he about to do?


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: This actually got a whole lot more attention than I thought it would… wow._

_Hopefully this will live up to everyone's expectations!_

_Now, **I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter**, I was working on homework the last few days and then I was doing some work on my book (yes, I'm writing a book, but I doubt it'll ever be published so no need to worry about that). If you're wondering, I'm a college student who is stupidly ugh at math and sucks writing essays… yea… But I do try to work on this whenever I can!_

* * *

><p>It was late afternoon when Mike saw Foxy again. Or more like when Foxy found him.<p>

"Mikey!" he heard Foxy call and looked over his shoulder to see the vulpine running towards him. "'Ey Mikey!"

Mike stopped and waited for the quick fox to catch up- no use in trying to outrun him after all. "What is it, Foxy?"

The vulpine slowed to a stop next to Mike. "I want ta catch up… I've been gone a long time," he said to the human.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Foxy," Mike told the vulpine, continuing his walk back to his house. "I won't believe everything you say just because you're the one saying it."

"Aye, I know that Mikey, but now me tales are not just tales. Besides, it weren't just them tales of pirates and adventures we used to talk about. I'm sure ye've got questions for me."

That caused the human to pause. Yes, he _did_ have questions for the vulpine, but he still felt unsure about everything. How could Foxy expect to just waltz back into his life after disappearing without a trace? Sure, Mike knew Foxy thought he was dead, and Mike thought the same about him…

'_I should be glad he's even alive,'_ Mike thought to himself, sighing and running a hand through his already messy hair. "I can't say you're wrong."

"Then just talk to me and everything will be back to normal."

"Normal?" Mike looked at Foxy incredulously. "No, ten years ago isn't normal anymore, _Captain._ Ten years ago is the past. Normal for me is waking up in the morning and heading to the docks to work until Mr. Canthorn says I can go. Stories about good pirates, friends, family- those aren't "normal" anymore."

"Aye, I suppose yer right. But we can at least catch up, aye?" Foxy questioned, ears flattening. No, he wouldn't lose Mikey again. It occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, he was being a bit obsessive- it had been ten years, and Mikey _was_ eighteen by now. He had probably moved on, but foxy didn't give up. He wanted his little matey back.

"Well… I guess it won't hurt," Mike agreed slowly. To be honest, he didn't want to lose Foxy either. But he was afraid. The last time he spoke to the vulpine Animal, he himself was just a little child… "But you _have_ to understand, I'm not that kid anymore," he said.

Foxy nodded in understanding. "O'course yer not, I know that!" he declared. Mike doubted Foxy would ever see him as more than that eight year old kid, but…

"Fine. Come on, I live this way," he sighed, gesturing for the Animal to follow. He headed back towards his little shack of a house.

As they entered, Foxy glanced around, raising a brow. "Aye, laddie, this be where ye make port?"

"Um… what?"

"This be where ye live, laddie."

"Oh… yea, it is," Mike nodded. "I'd offer you something to eat but I only have half a small loaf of bread for my dinner."

"Half a loaf?" Foxy seemed genuinely surprised. Half a loaf wasn't enough to keep up your strength! "We don't even eat that li'l on me ship," he declared, sounding almost _offended._

"And what ship is that? Everyone knows how food is severely rationed on ships," Mike snarked, sitting down in a seat.

"Ah, Mikey, I be the cap'n o' the finest ship on the seven seas- wit' the best cook on the seven seas as well," Foxy told him. "No half a loaf o' bread on _The Crimson Vixen_, nay."

Mike suddenly straightened up, eyes widening. "You're captain of _The Crimson Vixen_?!" he yelped. Some part of him just knew that Foxy would have become a pirate, but… the most famous- the most _notorious _ship on the seas? "Why didn't you mention that earlier?!"

"Ye didn't know?" Foxy asked, his brow raising in surprise. "Most people wherever I go can recognize me. Posters plastered all 'round the town, ye know."

"Um… n-not here…" Mike slumped over and ran a hand through his hair. "We heard tales of _The Crimson Vixen_ but you never attacked anywhere near these parts so…"

Foxy watched Mike for a few moments, then he said, "Aye, lad, I never planned comin' back… but we were just off shore and… I wanted ta see who all survived. I wasn't gonna plunder and kill, ye know. Not this town."

"That's good to know," Mike grumbled, straightening up again. "How long are you and your crew staying in town?"

"We should be gone before the sun's gone an hour," Foxy answered, playing with some of his fur. "The crew be loadin' up the ship now."

"That's not a very long break," Mike noted, raising a brow.

"Aye, laddie, the sea be in our blood," the vulpine noted, looking at Mike's icy eyes. "Plus we never stay long in any place that recently been havin' the Sickness."

"Ah…" The young man nodded in understanding. "Well you-"

Just then, a loud banging sounded at the door. "Schmidt! Time to pay up!"

Mike winced. "Ah, that would be the tax collector," he commented, standing up and going over to the door. He answered it. "Good evening," he greeted the tax collector, a tall thin wire-frame man with a mop of messy brown hair.

The tax collector pushed past Mike and turned to face him. "I'm here for your property tax."

"Of course," Mike grumbled, shuffling over to his money box and taking what was left out of it. He made his way back to the tax collector and handed it over. The tax collector quickly counted them up then smirked, looking at Mike. After a few seconds of silence, Mike asked, "What?"

"Your taxes were raised," the collector stated gleefully. "By an entire silver."

"What?" Mike squeaked, eyes widening. "But I don't have another silver! I don't even have another copper piece!"

Foxy scowled as the tax collector's grin widened. "Shall I call the constable, for refusing to pay your taxes?" the tax collector cackled, either unaware or uncaring that Mike had a guest.

"I'm not refusing, Mr. Geld!" Mike protested. "I just don't _have_ another silver piece!"

Mr. Geld shook his head and reached out to grab onto Mike's arm. "Sorry, Mr. Schmidt, but not paying your taxes is against the law!"

The vulpine strode over and grabbed Mr. Geld's wrist, pulling something out of his coat pocket. "'ere's ye bloody piece o' silver, ye lily-livered landlubber," he snarled, shoving a silver piece into the man's hand. "Lay a hand on me mate 'ere and ye'll never get another'n again." He shoved the man roughly towards the door.

The tall human was startled, but huffed indignantly. "Whatever," he sneered, walking out the door.

A silence fell between Mike and Foxy as they listened to the gravel crunching under the man's feet as he left. Then Foxy scoffed. "If'n I were ta plunder this here port he'd be the first ta die."

Mike winced a bit, then turned to Foxy. "Hey, uh… thanks for that…" he mumbled, feeling embarrassed that Foxy had to basically save him. Foxy looked at him.

"Not a problem, matey. But…" Foxy trailed off, watching his young friend. Mike raised his gaze to meet Foxy's.

The human man did not like what he saw.

Foxy looked _mad._ He looked livid, even… protective. Possessive. And for the first time ever, Mike felt afraid of Foxy.

Foxy actually looked like a pirate.

"I won't let that be happenin' again."

* * *

><p>Freddy looked up from the barrel he was securing as he heard a commotion. He blinked as he caught sight of his captain and best friend walking down the dock with the young man from earlier thrown over his left shoulder like a sack of potatoes. People around were staring and whispering as the vulpine jumped into the small boat with the unconscious human.<p>

"Foxy, the hell did ya do to the lad?" Freddy demanded, watching as Foxy sat Mike on the floor of the boat and sat down.

"Simple, I made transportin' him ta the ship easier," the vulpine answered. "We be leavin' now."

"So wait, we're bringin' this human with us?" Freddy was confused. None of the crew of _The Crimson Vixen_ was Human. They were all Animals.

"Aye. I told ye, Freddy, I ain't losin' him again," Foxy declared, signaling to the twin timber wolf crew members to begin rowing. "And I won't be lettin' these folks hurt him in any way."

Freddy bit his lip and looked worriedly at Mike. He was worried, but… if the captain liked this Human, surely the rest of the crew would too.

Right?

* * *

><p><em>AN 2: Whoever can guess where Mr. Geld's name comes from gets a virtual batch of cookies!_


	4. Chapter 3

_A/N: Whoo I'm on a roll! Early chapter because it's more of a filler introductory (to the crew) chapter and the last chapter took forever...  
><em>

_**Guest**__, that was just a huuuge coincidence but I love it so much you're getting a virtual batch of cookies anyway! The word "Geld" is actually German for money, which I know because I am currently learning German as a foreign language. That's where I got Mr. Geld's name._

_Also warning, there will be OCs in the crew but none of the crew OCs will be super majorly important- they'll just act as teachers for Mike, to be honest. They're only there because I need more than 6 characters to crew the ship…_

* * *

><p>When Mike came to later, he stared at the ceiling of the room. It was evident by the beautifully polished wood that he was not in his dingy shack in Myrland. For some reason, he felt a throbbing pain on the back of his head…<p>

After a few moments, it hit Mike what happened and he shot up, looking around. He was in a large cabin, he noticed, a bit sectioned off from the rest of the room on a bed. It wasn't an amazingly soft bed but it was better than his own bed back home.

From where he sat on the bed, he could see a circular table with maps and a few tools- perhaps a compass and a spyglass- and a dagger, sticking straight up out of the wood. There was a cabinet with bottles of some kind of drink in it, and off to the side a large wardrobe with, he assumed, clothes.

It… wasn't quite what Mike expected from a pirate cabin. It was obviously the captain's cabin.

The human slid off the bed and almost immediately lost his balance. The floor beneath his feet was swaying to and fro. It occurred to Mike that he had never been on a ship before, even the docks he worked on were stationary.

"I see ye be awake, laddie."

Mike jumped and turned his attention to the door not far from the round table. Foxy stood there, wearing a fancy black and gold coat and tri-point captain's hat, with a cutlass strapped to his side. He even sported an eye patch over his right eye, even though Mike knew he still had his eye, and his right hand seemed to be replaced with a hook. He looked every bit the pirate that he was.

The young man stared a few moments at Foxy, then said, "What the hell, Foxy? You kidnapped me! You knocked me out!"

"Aye, I did, and nay, I did not," Foxy replied with a smug little grin. "Ye knocked yeself out."

"I- huh?" Mike blinked, confused. "What do you mean I knocked myself out?!"

"Ye started freakin' out after I said it weren't gonna happen again, and ye slipped and knocked yer head against a table. I simply took that moment ta get you ta _The Crimson Vixen_. Much easier when ye ain't strugglin', aye," Foxy explained, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame. "Also, ye best be callin' me Cap'n while aboard me ship."

"Captain… oh right…" Mike trailed, remembering where he was again.

"Welcome aboard _The Crimson Vixen_, laddie. Now that ye be awake, ye can meet me crew!" Foxy stated delightedly, straightening up and gesturing for him to follow. Mike hesitated only a moment before going over to Foxy.

After all, he was stuck aboard Foxy's ship with a bunch of strangers, might as well get on everyone's good side.

So Mike, the only human aboard the ship, followed the vulpine Animal out of the cabin onto deck under the bright moonlight, where at least fifteen Animals stood- and that wasn't counting the Animals Mike could see climbing the masts to set the sails or the ones that might be guarding the ship's brig and whoever might have been down there.

"Aye, we have many a man here," Foxy commented lazily, "not fer the mannin' o' the ship but fer fightin' the merchants and navies passin' by." The captain lifted his hooked hand and waved it a bit, and some of the fifteen scattered, leaving only seven on deck. "Now ye already be knowin' Freddy here, he be my first mate- that means he be the quartermaster on this ship."

"Hello, Michael," Freddy greeted the man, and Mike briefly wondered how the bear had learned his full name.

"This here be Chica, she be our cook. The best on the seven seas!" Chica was a yellow female chicken, much to Mike's confusion- she looked a bit like a duck, to be honest…

"Hey," she greeted a bit stiffly, her feathered arms crossed. "You're human."

"And you're a girl," Mike noted the obvious. "Your point?"

"Movin' on," Foxy was quick to intervene before the yellow chicken could get mad, "this be Bonnie, he be our crew doctor and, when no one needs him, Chica's assistant." Mike looked at a male rabbit. He had, strangely enough, purple fur and long ears. For some reason he wore a bowtie, despite his clothes being worse for wear.

"Hi…" the timid-sounding rabbit, Bonnie, greeted the shorter human.

"And this here… er… Freddy's, where's yer brother?" Foxy demanded, pausing before moving over to the remaining four.

"I believe he's in the crow's nest, Captain," Freddy answered, looking up in that direction. Foxy and Mike both looked up as well, and just barely at the top of what Mike figured to be the lookout area, he spotted something… gold?

"Golden, get yer furry tail down here!" Foxy called, lifting his left hand to get this… Golden's attention. After a few moments, the other began descending quickly, and once it reached the ground, hurried over to the group.

"Yes, Captain?" the golden bear asked, glancing around.

Foxy rolled his eyes at his lookout and looked at Mike. "Mikey, this be Freddy's brother Friedrich, but we all call him Golden for his fur. Golden, this be Mike."

"Ah, hello!" Golden smiled amiably at Mike, reaching forward and grasping the human's hand to shake with his large furry paws.

"Golden is our lookout," Foxy went on, eying Golden's hands as he released Mike's. "This here be Wulfric," he introduced the next crew member, a tawny grey and black wolf. "He be the weapon's master. He makes weapons, fixes broken weapons, sharpens swords, and he can load a canon in less'n ten minutes. He also be me second mate."

The wolf grunted a greeting.

"Oh, and he don't talk much," Foxy added, turning his attention to the next man. Actually, woman. It was a female cheetah, actually about the same height as Mike. "This be Chyna. She be tough as nails and can outfight all o' the men on board, 'cept myself and Freddy," Foxy warned Mike. "She be the boatswain and third mate."

"Hello," the cheetah greeted, sounding a bit bored to meet Mike.

"Here be Donny," Foxy moved on, gesturing to a tall male dingo with reddish-orange fur. "He be our master carpenter, fixes the masts and sails when they get damaged. He's not much of a fighter but he be a damn good carpenter."

The dingo nodded to Mike with a small smile. "Hey."

"And last but definitely not least," Foxy grinned, approaching a young otter, "is Odie. He be our sailing master- that be our navigator, lad."

The otter glanced at the captain. "Hello, Mike," he greeted the human, his voice kind but a bit uneasy. Mike had a feeling he wasn't there by choice.

"And that be the most important people on me ship," Foxy said, looking around. "We got gunners and sail makers, even a cooper and a few musicians fer morale reasons. Oh," he caught sight of a young kangaroo boy running across deck. "We also got powder monkeys."

"And, um… where do I fit in all of this?" Mike asked slowly, looking at the officers and group leaders.

"Ah, Mikey, ye got ta start at the bottom, lad," Foxy told him. "Ye'll be startin' as the cabin boy."

"And, um, what does that mean?"

"It means," Golden cut in before Foxy could respond, "You'll do what you're told by all the pirate officers, assist in any way you can, and learn _all_ parts of the maritime trade."

"Maritime trade?"

"Sailing, lad," Foxy elaborated. "Sailing. Ye'll be learnin' how ta be a pirate from the best pirate crew on the seas."

"A pirate?"

"Yes, a pirate," Chica sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Are you sure about him, Captain, he seems a bit slow."

Foxy laughed at this. "He just be in a bit o' shock, lass, give him some time ta 'djust."

Mike looked at the crew members he'd been introduced to- the pirate crew members. He couldn't help but find it a little humorous- _these_ were the best of the best, the most notorious and well known pirates in existence… Yet all of their names, save for the bears'…

Foxy the Fox, Chica the Chicken, Bonnie the Bunnie, Wulfric the Wolf, Chyna the Cheetah, Donny the Dingo, Odie the Otter… How did anyone take these Animals seriously, Mike had to wonder.

"Does this make me Michael of Myrland?"

* * *

><p>"Now Mikey," Foxy began as they walked on the deck of the ship, heading towards the bow, "it be best if you forget your life ashore, ye'll never return to it."<p>

"That's comforting."

"I be sure! No more _Mr. Geld _or _Witch Boy_, Mikey. Maybe one day ye'll even rise through the ranks ta be me quartermaster." Foxy gave a jovial smile to Mike. "Nothin' will hurt ye while ye be wit' me."

"Sorry, _Captain_, but I find that hard to believe… you see, we are on a pirate ship," Mike deadpanned. "And not just any pirate ship, _The Crimson Vixen_, the most notorious ship on the seven seas."

"Aye but I'll keep ye safe, laddie," Foxy assured him, setting his remaining hand on Mike's shoulder.

"Why are you wearing an eye patch and hook?" Mike suddenly asked, reminded by the hand on his shoulder. "I mean, you still have both eyes, and you had a hand earlier…"

"The patch just be fer quick night vision," Foxy answered. "The hand I wore earlier in the eve was a fake."

"A fake?" Mike blinked and looked at Foxy, confused. "But you moved it like a real hand, and-"

"Laddie, there be many things yer governing folks never told ye," Foxy sighed, shushing Mike. "There be cities, ye know, cities with scientists who be rediscoverin' the glory of ye humans' past. But ye know, that be against the laws set by yer government. One port city on an island far in the middle o' the ocean, formed by the volcanoes under the seas, has those scientists. Very friendly pirate city, it be, and there a scientist- a human, like ye, but a traitor in the end- made me that hand I wore earlier this eve."

"So… you're saying… there are people out there… making technology lost to us in the war?" Mike asked slowly, and Foxy nodded.

"Aye, lad." He grinned a bit, turning to Mike. "We actually be headin' there now. It'll be a few months, the island be way away from the continents."

Foxy's ears perked suddenly and he turned around, looking towards the young otter he had introduced as the sailing master. "Aye, Odie?"

Odie seemed a bit surprised to have been acknowledged without making his presence know. He glanced at Mike briefly, and Mike noticed that the otter didn't really look much older than he himself. "I was wondering if we were going to discuss our destination…"

"Tralago Island, Odie lad. Southwest to Tralago Island."


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: Alright, back to _All For All.

* * *

><p>"So… Tralago Island… that's a funny name," Mike observed once Odie scurried off to do navigation stuff.<p>

"Tralogons be thinkin' the same o' them places like Savannah 'nd Myrland," Foxy responded with a smirk, turning back to face the oceans. "Jus' ye wait, Mikey, ye'll love the Tralago Islands."

Mike highly doubted this, but chose not to say anything. He simply gave a shaky unsure smile. "If you say so," he mumbled. "I'm tired."

"Aye, I bet ye are. Ye'll be bunkin' wit' the crew, laddie," Foxy grinned. "Tomorrow ye'll be learnin' wit' Chica. After ye be done wit' her, ye'll move up to Donny, Wulfric, then Chyna, an' then ye'll go learn wit' Bonnie. Then ye go wit' Goldie, 'nd ye'll end wit' Freddy."

"What about Odie?" the human asked curiously.

"Odie be the navigator, if ye want ta learn navigation do it on yer own time," Foxy told him. "One o' the lads will show ye to yer hammock."

"Um, thanks… captain…" Mike trailed off before walking off to find someone to show him where he'd be sleeping.

Foxy stood alone at the bow of the ship while the human walked away. Something didn't feel right to Foxy, but he let it be.

"You're treatin' him like he's a legit newcomer," a southern lilted voice spoke up from behind the vulpine captain. Foxy looked over his shoulder at Freddy, who slipped out of his spot in a shadow to join his best friend at the rail.

"Well he is," Foxy stated, looking back at the water. Freddy shook his head.

"No he's not, Foxy. He doesn't wanna be here- you made him come. Even Odie wants to be here more'n Mr. Schmidt," Freddy sighed. Foxy scowled, his ears flattening. He could tell Freddy was extremely disappointed in him.

"What was I s'posed to do, Freddy?" he demanded, looking at the bear. "Let him be arrested fer somethin' that wasn't even his fault? Let him starve ta death 'cause he can't afford more'n a measly loaf o' bread each day? Or maybe I was s'posed ta leave him in a place where he was known as the _witch boy_? Or did ye-"

"I never said anythin' like that, Foxy," Freddy interrupted, his voice dropping a bit in tone to show his displeasure. Foxy fell silent; sometimes Freddy could be very scary. "You should'a asked him if he even wanted to come with ya. He might'a said yes, and he wouldn't be lookin' at ya like you're a kidnapper."

Foxy huffed and turned back to the ocean, tail flicking in irritation. "I tol' ye once, Freddy. I won't lose him again."

Freddy looked silently at his best friend, icy blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Then tell me why ya put him in harm's way like this."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for helping me, Donny," Mike thanked the dingo, who smiled a bit nervously at him.<p>

"You're welcome, Mike," he said. "You know, I've never spoken to a human before."

"You haven't?" Mike blinked in surprise. "We're everywhere, though."

"Not where I'm from," the dingo said, shaking his head. "No humans live in the city I'm from."

"But what about at Tralago or any other place you guys dock at?" Mike asked, furrowing his brow.

"I usually don't go on land," the young canine Animal admitted. "And I joined the crew at the stop before Myrland…"

"Oh…" Mike nodded in understanding. "Well it's nice to talk to you, Donny. Is Donny short for anything?"

"No, Donny's my real name," Donny confirmed, fidgeting a bit. "Um, goodnight, Mike." The dingo quickly walked away to do whatever he needed to do, leaving Mike alone in front of his hammock.

"G'night," Mike called, though Donny was already out of sight. "Huh… fidgety one, he is," Mike mumbled, pulling his shoes off and crawling into his hammock. Sadly it was more comfortable than his bed back in Myrland…

He sighed. It seemed like none of the crew members, save for Foxy, were really interested in him.

Oh well. He was sure he could convince his old friend to let him return to land after some time...

**The Next Day**

Mike was woken up by the feeling of falling out of his hammock. With a muffled groan, he sat up and looked around. It was pitch black down there, and he could just make out the outlines of the crew sleeping in their hammocks.

"Good, you're awake," a voice hissed behind him in its attempt to keep quiet. "Come on."

He looked behind him and just barely saw the glaring purple eyes of the slightly-overweight yellow chicken. She did not look happy.

It took him a few moments to remember why she was there- he was helping her in the galley today. Quickly he scrambled to his feet and pulled his boots on.

'_She must be the one who pushed me out of the hammock…'_

Mike followed Chica out of the crew's quarters and towards the galley and kitchen. He looked over the dark deck and noticed a few people out, most likely night guards. Then he noticed the moonlight reflecting off the water's surface.

It was beautiful, a soft silver light reflecting off of the pure black surface of the ocean water…

Unfortunately, Mike was so distracted that when he stepped on the galley steps, his foot slipped and he went tumbling down with a yelp.

Chica heard the yelp and stepped to the side as the young man tumbled down past her, landing in a heap at the ground. She did not look impressed.

Mike groaned in pain and sat up. _'Lucky I didn't break my neck,'_ he mentally told himself, rubbing his left shoulder. The chicken stepped in front of him and crossed her arms.

"Idiot."

"Chica?" a soft voice called from the kitchen, getting the chicken and human's attention. The rabbit doctor had appeared at the doorway, brow furrowed and looking worried. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, Bonnie, this guy was just being an idiot," she told the wiry bunny Animal, walking over towards the kitchen.

Bonnie stepped aside to allow the female inside, then went to help Mike to his feet. "I can check to make sure you didn't twist anything," Bonnie offered Mike, and Mike decided he liked the soft-spoken doctor.

"Thanks, but I think I'm fine," Mike assured the bunny. "Just a bit sore is all."

"If you're sure," Bonnie quickly conceded with a slight nod. "Let's go help Chica."

Mike followed the Animal into the kitchen, where Chica was already gathering her cooking supplies. "Um- exactly what are we supposed to do?" Mike mumbled.

"Just do whatever I tell ya to," Chica responded immediately. Bonnie nodded in agreement before saying something to Chica that Mike couldn't understand. It sounded like Spanish, but Mike wasn't sure. He had never heard anything but English before.

Whatever Bonnie said, Chica rolled her eyes and responded in the same language. Mike noticed she didn't have her usual snappy tone.

Bonnie shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Sorry," he apologized, going over to the pot. "The water's boiling by the way."

"I see that, Bonnie. Schmidt, get over here and chop these carrots before I decide your ears would make a great addition to the stew."

* * *

><p>After breakfast and all of the other crew members had been fed, Chica and her two helpers sat down to eat as well. Mike was actually surprised by just how delicious the stew was.<p>

"I see what Foxy meant when he said only the best on his ship," Mike muttered, more to himself than Bonnie or Chica.

Bonnie blinked and looked at Mike. "You call the captain Foxy?"

"Ah… I used to… force of habit," Mike apologized immediately.

"It's interesting you used to," Chica commented almost lazily as she ate. "Only four people on this ship have permission to call him that behind closed doors."

"Well I know Freddy calls him Foxy…" Mike trailed off, confused.

"Golden, Chica, and I also call him Foxy," Bonnie informed Mike. "We were his best friends back when he was just another pirate."

"Just another pirate?" the human blinked in confusions. There was a time when Foxy had been "just another pirate"?

"Ya didn't think he started directly as a captain, did ya?" Chica scoffed. "No no, ten years ago, he joined Captain Clawfoot's crew. Clawfoot was a good captain, kind of funny considering he was a fluffy cat. Declawed, even, from a city where Animals were worth as much as regular animals."

"He could rival even Foxy in how good a captain he was," Bonnie said, smiling sadly. "Chica and I joined him at the same time, so we could be free from our binds."

"Binds?"

"We were pretty much slaves in a big fancy human's house," Chica huffed. "We served the same man. I cooked and Bonnie was kind of a personal doctor- trained by humans, but got paid nothing."

"You mean… there are actually places Animals aren't humans' equals?" Mike was baffled by this thought. As long as he could remember, he attended school and lived in neighborhoods and went to the same hospitals as Animals. One year he'd even had an Animal doctor, and her rates were just as high as the humans'!

"Of course," Chica grumbled, setting her spoon down in her soup. "Just like in some places, women are worth less than men or vice versa, and in some places pirates are hailed as heroes and the navy is viewed as the enemy. Everywhere is different."

"Back to the point," Bonnie softly cut in, steering the conversation back to Clawfoot and Foxy, "Chica and I were members of Clawfoot's crew when Foxy walked right up to him and asked to join his crew, less than a month later. Of course, Clawfoot, as great a man he was, wasn't about to let just anyone on board his ship…"

"Foxy had to prove his worth," Chica continued for Bonnie. "Just like I had to impress Clawfoot with my cooking and Bonnie with his doctoring, Foxy had to prove his worth, and he did. He almost defeated Clawfoot in a sword fight. Clawfoot was impressed, and made Foxy the weapons master. Freddy and Golden came about half a year later, but we don't really know their story. They never chose to share it."

"But the five of us became really close," Bonnie cut in again. "We were all well-liked by the rest of the crew, yes, but we five were the youngest in the crew. You already know Foxy was seventeen when he joined. Chica was sixteen and I was eighteen… Freddy and Golden were nineteen."

"Freddy and Golden are twins?"

"Yea," Chica confirmed with a nod. "Fraternal, obviously. What little they told us, Freddy looks more like their father and Golden looks more like their mother. They haven't said much more than that."

"Alright… what happened to Clawfoot?"

Chica and Bonnie exchanged a glance. "Well-"

"-a stowaway from an enemy ship got on board, that be wha' happened," the voice of the current captain broke in, startling the three.

"Foxy," Chica greeted with a slight nod.

Foxy didn't acknowledge Chica's greeting, instead focusing on Mike. "Cap'n Clawfoot was the bes' damn cap'n this crew ever had. He was murdered in the dead o' night, he was, a dirty trick for an opposing cap'n to play 'nd a terrible way for a great cap'n ta die. Freddy 'nd I found the stowaway 'nd threw him overboard fer the sharks to have fer breakfast."

Mike gazed a bit wide-eyed at Foxy. It was clear by the look in the vulpine's amber eyes that it was a bad memory for him. "And then… you became captain?"

"Aye," Foxy confirmed. "The crew elected me cap'n o'er the firs' mate. The firs' mate was livid, he was, so he left ta form his own crew, 'nd Freddy was chosen fer firs' mate," he explained. Then he turned his attention to Chica and Bonnie, letting the somber look fall off his face. "Aye, lass, the meal was delicious as always! Mikey was a good helper, aye?"

Chica nodded slightly. "Yea, yea, he was a good helper, Foxy."

"Told ye he would be," Foxy grinned happily. "I know ye don't like humans, Chica lass, but this'd here is different."

"Yea, I noticed."

Foxy must have noticed the chicken was starting to get irritated, because he changed his attention to Bonnie. "Bonnie, lad, one o' the powder monkeys got hurt, can ye go tend ta him?"

Bonnie nodded and got up. "See you later Chica, Mike," he said quietly before heading off to the medical cabin on the ship.

"Help me clean up, boy," Chica commanded, standing up and gathering the empty bowls to take back to the kitchen.

"Alright," Mike nodded, standing up to help her. He was a bit confused- she had seemed to hate him, yet she willingly talked about her and Bonnie's story to him. Now she was back to being commanding and bossy… she seemed to flip-flop and it confused Mike quite a bit.

Mike glanced up and his icy eyes met the captain's amber ones. Foxy seemed to be debating with himself about something.

In the end, he shook his head slightly. "Once ye be done, help the lass wit' lunch. After that, come find me." Then the vulpine left.

"He doesn't treat me like I'm an old friend," Mike complained, frowning a bit.

"You have to learn something, boy," Chica began with a warning tone. "On board this ship, Foxy is the captain. Captains have enemies. He _can't_ treat you like an old friend.

"If he did, you'd be a target."


End file.
